


The Treasure of Kakariko Village

by Maze316



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Not much romance but the possible beginnings of it, Selectively Mute Link, fluff kinda
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-20
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-12-17 20:25:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11859024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maze316/pseuds/Maze316
Summary: The Sheikah heirloom has been stolen, leaving its owners devastated. Link agrees to watch over the grieving Paya in her time of fear. But what happens in the single day they are together?





	The Treasure of Kakariko Village

“Link… Paya is afraid that the thief may still be nearby. Would you please stay by her side today?” 

Link nodded at Impa’s request. No matter the importance of the heirloom that had just been stolen under the Sheikah’s noses, the wellbeing of the its owners was more important. It was one of the values Link found he held highly: protecting people before anything else. Although his memories were gone, traits of his ancient personality often shone through the fog.

The young Sheikah was still collapsed on her knees, unable to stop her flow of tears. Link stood there for a moment, unsure of himself. The room felt dark and empty without the familiar orb in its rightful place. It felt even emptier as Paya’s sobs echoed against the walls. 

“Paya,” he stated her name. “It’s okay.”

She looked up at him with swollen eyes. “M-Master Link…” She stood and brushed herself off. “If you're here… I need to return to my duties. Even without the h-heirloom…” Her voice caught, and she had to stop to take a breath. “I have the rest of the house to take care of.”

Paya wiped the tears from her face with her sleeves. Impa looked at her, concern clear on her face.

“Dear, maybe you should take a break for today,” she said.

“No,” Paya stated, “I can’t shirk my duties. I feel safe as long as Master Link is here.”

“If you insist…” Impa shook her head.

“Follow me, please,” Paya told Link. She walked to the stairs and climbed up to the second floor, her bedroom. A basket of clothes sat in one corner. As Link followed, she looked around the room.

“I have to do laundry. Um, you can… you can keep watch while I work.”

Link nodded, turning to face the open stairwells. Behind him, Paya went to work folding the clothes kept in the basket, putting aside those too wrinkled to wear. Drawers squeaked open and slammed shut. Link fiddled with a blemished sword. The minutes ticked by slowly, neither one saying a word. 

Link’s eyes started to wander, curiosity getting the better of him. Paya’s desk sat close to the entrance of the room. It was covered in books and decorated by pink flowers that contrasted the dimness of the room. There wasn't a single speck of dust. What caught his attention, however, was an open book. It appeared to be handwritten. Link leaned away from his post, trying to discern what was written inside.

“Don’t read that!” a voice squealed. Link spun around to come face-to-face with Paya, who snatched the book from the desk. Her skin reddening, she tensed further.“I-I’m sorry, Master Link, for being so disrespectful. It’s just that… This is… It’s kind of…”

“I’m sorry,” Link said.

Paya paused. “Yes… Thank you.” She closed the book and set it on top of the stack, which wobbled a little. “If you’re tired of standing, I have a spare cushion.” Without waiting for a response, she took one from the open wardrobe and put it a few feet from her own.

Link sat down, and Paya took another shirt. He watched as she folded. She never met his eye but only focused on the work in front of her.

“I-I appreciate you staying with me when you must have so many more priorities,” Paya said after a time.

“You’re welcome,” Link responded.

“I think it must be hard. You don’t remember anything from your past life, do you?”

“A few things.”

“That's right—Grandmother was trying to help you remember. Do you feel more like your old self?”

“I’m still not sure who that was.”

“Well, do you feel like a hero?”

“Everyone tells me I am.”

Paya reached the end of her pile. She put the wrinkled clothes back in the basket and picked up a rag from a shelf.

“I couldn't imagine the pressure you're under. All of Hyrule believes in you to save them.”

“It’s what I’m here to do.”

Paya lacked a response—he never unmasked his serious façade. She stood, but she set the rag beside her cushion in order to blow out the candles burning on her altar.

“L-let’s go outside now,” she said as she turned back toward the stairwells.

Link nodded, starting to follow her down the stairs. Before he did, he noticed her rag left lying on the ground. Grabbing it, he scurried down the stairs after her.

“Oh!” Paya exclaimed, turning around to see him lag behind. “I can be so scatterbrained sometimes. Thank you so much, Master Link.” She took it from his hands, wearing a nervous smile.  
“No, you’re so focused. These are hard times.”

Paya gaped at him, wordless for a moment as she processed his words. “...Thank you, Master Link. It has been a long day.” She hesitated a moment, but hurried out the door, praying she didn’t look as flushed as she felt.

Link easily kept up with her, so much so he had to stop himself from running down the stairs in front of her. Despite being flustered, Paya moved down the flight with grace. The wind played with her ivory hair, teasing it nearly across her shoulder. The scent of the morning’s rain hung in the air, but the sun hung lazily in the sky above.

“My final duty is to clean the guardian deities. They bring us guidance, and in return, I keep them free of any dust or dirt that covers them each day.” Paya explained this as the both of them reached the bottom of the stairs. A row of deity statues sat beside the stairwell.

“Have they guided you?” Link asked.

Paya gave the question a moment of thought. “As strange as it sounds, I’ve been hearing voices. They were what told me the purpose of the heirloom just before it was stolen. I don’t know who it was. It may have been these deities. Regardless, the Goddess has blessed me with that knowledge, no matter how I learned it. I’m truly honored.” Her last statement fell flat, the enthusiasm suddenly lost from her voice.

She kneeled before the first of the deities, taking a moment to pray. Link lowered his head in turn, but was only focused on her words. As Paya opened her eyes and started to dust off the statue, she continued to speak.

“I’ve worked my entire life for that kind of experience. While I’ve always helped my grandmother, I decided to stay here with her. I want nothing more than to give my life to help Hyrule. I’ve heard the stories of The Great Calamity my grandmother’s told. I dedicated my life to her and the Goddess in hope that one day, I could help bring peace. At least, make sure it stays in Kakariko.

“But… when I was finally given that chance, the heirloom was stolen. The heirloom I’ve kept ready for its fate every day for as long as I can remember. And now it’s gone. My one responsibility.” Her voice grew thicker with every word. Tears welled in her eyes, quickly overflowing. 

“I’ll find it,” Link insisted.

“You wouldn’t have to if I wouldn’t have failed. I would’ve told you, and we would’ve gone to the shrine together, and… I don’t even deserve to be by your side.”

Link put a hand on her shoulder. She jumped at his touch. His eyes, his beautiful deep blue eyes, looked into hers so intently, she couldn’t look away.

“It wasn’t you fault,” he said. “You did your best. You’re not going to help anyone if you give up. You still solved the puzzle of the orb. No one else could’ve done that. If you keep trying, who knows what else you could do.”

Such simple words. And yet, they cut through her doubts like the sword on his back.

“R-really?”

He nodded, and she could see in his eyes that he was telling the truth. There was wisdom in those eyes—the wisdom of a man who had survived The Great Calamity a hundred years ago. She realized he spoke so little because every word he said meant so much.

“T-thank you, Master Link. I think… I think I can still try.”

He gave her a smile. Her heart fluttered at the sight; any lingering sorrow had been replaced by fresh butterflies in her stomach. 

“L-let me finish cleaning these.” 

The rest of the evening went by as quickly as the sun set behind them. When Paya was done, they were cloaked in the darkness of night. As they walked back up the stairs, Link repeatedly looked behind him to ensure no one suspicious loitered. They both returned to her room, careful not to wake Impa, who had since fallen asleep.

“Thank you for staying by my side for the whole day,” Paya told him. “I see now that crying and feeling scared won’t help us get the heirloom back. I checked with both Dorian and Cado, but they said they didn’t see anyone other than villagers around. I’ll try to remember all I can about the night the heirloom was stolen, but the thief may still be hiding nearby. I have a bad feeling. If you spot any suspicious movement at night, don’t approach…”

Link nodded. “You stay safe, too.”

“I’ll try,” Paya said.

Link reached forward and took her hands, clutched in front of her chest, into his own. Paya gasped, frozen again by his touch.

“Promise me.”

“I-I promise, Master Link.”

He nodded again. He gave her hands a light squeeze before letting them go. Before she knew it, he was gone. She was too shocked to go after him; she could still feel his hands on hers. The only thing she could think to do was make a prayer.

“Goddess Hylia, if I could ask of you one more thing… Protect him.”

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, I haven't posted on AO3 in ages... but I hope you enjoyed my latest fic. After I met Paya, I was very disappointed at the lack of ship fics between her and Link. She's too adorable. I took a break from writing original fiction and tried my hand at adding one more to the almost nonexistent pile. This is intended as a one shot, but if there's enough demand, I'll certainly think about writing more.


End file.
